Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34959803›Full record

SynthesisNutrients2021

Excessive Vitamin A Supplementation Increased the Incidence of Acute Respiratory Tract Infections: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Yihan Zhang, Yifei Lu, Shaokang Wang, Ligang Yang, Hui Xia, Guiju Sun

Open access · goldAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Nutrients, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
1.4field-weighted citation impact, top 20% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 15 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Article
  5. The value of an ecological approach to address micronutrient malnutrition.The American journal of clinical nutrition · 2025
    Article
  6. Vitamin A and Its Related Diseases.Food science & nutrition · 2025
    Review
  7. [Vitamins and Immune System Health].Sichuan da xue xue bao. Yi xue ban = Journal of Sichuan University. Medical science edition · 2023
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Yihan ZhangKey Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China.ORCID 0000-0002-6224-8277
Yifei LuKey Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China.
Shaokang WangKey Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China.ORCID 0000-0002-7503-7655
Ligang YangKey Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China.
Hui XiaKey Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China.ORCID 0000-0002-4851-3732
Guiju SunKey Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China.ORCID 0000-0001-5969-2185
Southeast University · CN

Funding

Postgraduate Research&Practice Innovation Program of Jiangsu Province KYCX20_0154
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

(1) Background: vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is highly prevalent in children living in poor conditions. It has been suggested that vitamin A supplementation (VAS) may reduce the risk of acute respiratory tract infections (ARTI). Our study provides updates on the effects of oral VAS (alone) in children on ARTI and further explores the effect on interesting subgroups. (2) Methods: eight databases were systematically searched from their inception until 5 July 2021. The assessments of inclusion criteria, extraction of data, and data synthesis were carried out independently by two reviewers. (3) Results: a total of 26 randomized trials involving 50,944 participants fulfilled the inclusion criteria. There was no significant association of VAS with the incidence of ARTI compared with the placebo (RR 1.03, 95% CI 0.92 to 1.15). Subgroup analyses showed that VAS higher than WHO recommendations increased the incidence of ARTI by 13% (RR 1.13, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.20), and in the high-dose intervention group, the incidence rate among well-nourished children rose by 66% (RR 1.66, 95% CI 1.30 to 2.11). (4) Conclusions: no more beneficial effects were seen with VAS in children in the prevention or recovery of acute respiratory infections. Excessive VAS may increase the incidence of ARTI in children with normal nutritional status.

Indexed as

Acute DiseaseChildChild Nutritional Physiological PhenomenaDietary SupplementsFemaleHumansIncidenceMaleNutritional StatusRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicRespiratory Tract InfectionsVitamin AVitamin A DeficiencyVitamin Aacute respiratory tract infectionsmeta-analysissubgroupsvitamin A supplementation

Identifiers

PMID34959803
PMCPMC8706818
OpenAlexW3214787817

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.